Taps Page #6

Charlie Auden! This is Dad, Charlie.

Your mother and I are pretty scared out here.

She's crying all the time. I can't stop her.

You were never that crazy about this school.

You've been complaining all year.

We can't fiigure out

why you're in there somewhere with a gun.

I mean, we just can't believe it.

Come on home, Charlie.

Look, you can go to any kind of school

you want to. Just come out of there.

Please come out.

Don't hurt yourself.

Come on out.

Billy. Billy, I hope you can hear me.

You've always gone along with the crowd,

and I know kids are like that.

But this is one thing

you've got to do for yourself.

Sometimes being accepted by your friends

isn't worth the price.

- Your real friends...

- Who goes there?

- Lieutenant West.

- Advance and be recognised.

Stand easy.

- Everything OK?

- Yes, sir.

What are your orders?

Shoot anything that comes over,

under or around the wall.

- On whose orders?

- Captain Shawn's, sir.

- Carry on.

- Yes, sir.

Just a minute.

- Would you?

- Yes, sir. No problem, sir.

- Carry on.

- Yes, sir.

Any contact?

No. Nothing.

Maybe they just plan on,

you know, just coming in.

They would have done that

if that's what they came for.

I was hoping to get some word

on the general, see how he's doing.

Bug, go to the mess hall

and get us a pot of hot coffee.

Yes, sir.

Sit down.

Do you really expect them

to negotiate with us?

Yeah. They're not gonna stay out there

forever. We'll hear from them.

I don't know, Brian.

- Things might escalate.

- Escalate? How?

For one thing,

Shawn's Red Berets are really pumped up.

There's a sentry out there

ready to shoot to kill.

That's a sentry's job. What good is he

if he's not prepared to shoot?

Maybe he's a little more than ready.

And it's coming from Shawn, Brian.

I think he's running private little pep rallies

out there for them or something.

- A natural-born leader.

- He's got me a little worried, is all.

He's too much into this. He's at a pitch, man.

He's always been like that, Eddie.

After the Hulk, who would you want

on your side if you were in a fight?

- Well... Shawn.

- Right.

- First I'd want to talk my way out of the fight.

- Who wouldn't?

Now, listen. Nobody here wants to get killed.

They know we're right

and they're not gonna come in here shooting.

Trust me, Eddie.

- Order!

- Order arms!

- Parade!

- Parade rest!

Company commanders, front and centre.

- Status?

- D Troop, two men missing, sir.

- Alpha Company, four men missing, sir.

- Charlie Company, five men missing, sir.

- Bravo Company, all present, sir.

- Very well.

- 11 goddamn scumbags!

- Hold it down!

- The next yellow puke that goes...

- Shawn!

I want a full report from the roommates

of the 11 that are missing. And I want...

Major Moreland. Major Moreland.

Contact Colonel Kerby.

- You're the fellow who started all this.

- Major Moreland, sir, the ranking cadet.

Yes. I understand you're quite a leader,

Major Moreland.

Sir, we were all well trained

here at Bunker Hill.

- That's part of why we won't give it up.

- I can understand that.

What's another 100 condominiums,

more or less?

Condominiums are more easily built

than leaders.

Yeah. Exactly.

Only... you and I don't have

the last word on that subject.

But I do have something to say about it.

Mr Moreland, you know and I know

that it's never gonna go your way.

You do know that, don't you?

- You got something to tell me, Colonel?

- I'm telling you.

Brian, I'm no fancy negotiator

with a PhD in psychology.

That's not what I do for a living.

I'm the governor's muscle.

I get called when he gets nervous.

Don't try to scare us.

The police already tried that.

I know,

and your parents didn't fare any better.

But I've got to let you know

what's going on out there.

They don't see you guys

as rebels with a good cause.

They think you're home-grown terrorists

and it's got 'em scared shitless.

- Nice American boys don't act like this.

- We have a home here.

Something we think is worth defending.

Why is that so tough to understand?

Sure, and you have the right to defend it,

in all the accepted ways. Hell, I'll help you.

But you can't start

by stealing government property.

I've seen what happens

when you go the other way.

We'd get up to bat

and the game would be over.

At least you would all be alive,

which is all I give a damn about.

Don't worry about us.

How many kids do you have here?

Come on, for Christ's sake.

It's not classified information.

I've seen ten create a fearful momentum

and you have over 100 here. With weapons.

- And some really don't want to be here...

- You saw the muster yesterday.

- They had a chance to leave, they stayed.

- 11 kids did leave.

Sounds like 11 boys

who weren't much good to us anyway.

I don't care what happened here.

I don't wanna see scared kids crawling

over the wall in the middle of the night.

You won't.

Escort the colonel back to the gate.

Yes, sir.

- You don't have a whole lot of time, Brian.

- Colonel Kerby, sir.

As you were, soldier.

Jesus Christ! They're either soggy or stale!

It's good training for a young captain,

Mr Pierce.

Those guys

are probably sending out for pizza.

Weekend warriors!

One big difference between those guys

and us. They're used to shooting at people.

Are you kidding?

On a Monday morning, these guys

don't know a muzzle from a rat's ass.

- Bet we could find a witness to say different.

- Yeah, but they couldn't shoot back.

- Captain Shawn.

- Yes, sir.

- Call the corps to formation.

- Everyone?

- Yes, everyone.

- Yes, sir.

Corps all present and accounted for, sir.

Stand at ease!

Gentlemen, when we started this,

we agreed it would be done by the book.

A military operation.

Someday we'll be respected

for what we've done.

Last night 11 cadets jumped the wall.

And today they're saying, outside,

that the rest of you must be hostages.

A decision has to be made and it has to stick!

We can't tolerate any more desertions.

If you don't have the guts

for what we've taken on,

walk out now in the light of day.

If you're as committed as I am, stay.

We'll win this battle.

We'll win it with honour.

Otherwise step forward,

lay down your weapons, walk out.

Take off that beret.

Lieutenant West

requesting permission to be dismissed, sir.

Brian.

- Look, Brian...

- Dismissed.

Detail, right face!

Forward march!

I don't know what's going on.

I can't believe you love the school so much

to sit there and want to die for it.

Maybe I underestimated those damn tapes.

Kids I can understand,

Hulk was always marginal, but West.

It was a big mistake, Brian,

if you don't mind me saying.

Bache would have never played it that way.

Yeah. I wish I could talk to him.

He'd tell us to hold out.

Yeah, I know he would.

Why don't you go grab some sleep? Go on.

Sleep. Can you sleep?

Me? Slept like a baby this afternoon.

Two whole hours.

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